


Innocent

by Kellyjelly



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Best Friends, Creepy Pennywise, Creepy house, Crying, Cuddling, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings, Fighting, First Kiss, Fluff, Forgiveness, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, Kids disappearing, Kindness, Loss of Virginty, Murder, Pennywise being sad, Pennywise trying Spaghetti, Protectiveness, Returning to Derry, Romance, Sadness, Separations, Sewers, Slow Build, Sweet Moments, Sweet and Funny Pennywise, True Love, Vaginal Sex, scary moments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-02-27 04:26:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13240392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellyjelly/pseuds/Kellyjelly
Summary: Pennywise meets a little girl who isn’t afraid of him and he decides to not kill her but rather becomes friends with her. Their relationship blossoms into friendship and their friendship leads to... how should I say it... love.





	1. Hello Charlotte

“Hush little baby don’t say a word, scream all you want you’ll never be heard.”

Screams were escaping the little’s girl throat as she woke up from her nightmare. Charlotte was taking deep breaths and looked around her room. Her room was exactly the way she left it. She was beginning to feel scared again so she hid her little body under her covers. 

She’s been having the same dream over and over again. 

Charlotte was just a six-year-old girl who didn’t comprehend the complexity of her dreams. For all she knew, it was a horrible nightmare. Yet those same words being repeated in her dreams, were scary nonetheless. The little girl hugged her blankets and when she felt her fear dying away, she uncovered herself and got out of bed. She grabbed her Woody doll and headed towards the window. 

She saw that it was dark, no noises were being produced outside. She sighed and returned to her bed never knowing that a sinister clown was observing her. She climbed into bed and tightly hugged her doll as her eyes began to feel heavy, causing her to sleep again. 

The little girl was quite beautiful. She had long wavy bright red orange hair, resembling Merida from Brave. She had dark big brown eyes along with full rosy cheeks. For a young girl she possessed full pouty lips and light fair skin. Other than her adorable looks, she was a sweet little girl. 

Clumsily Charlotte threw her Woody doll to the floor. She sleepily directed her hand towards the floor trying to search for her buddy. Once she felt his squishy body, she returned to her dreams but failed to notice a pair of bright hazel eyes glowing beneath her bed. 

  
  
*********** 

  
  
The day was gloomy and rainy, which happened to be Charlotte’s favorite weather. She was still sleeping warmly in her bed. 

Then her mother decided to barge in and wake up her daughter. “Wake up sleepy head. Come on wake up wake up!” 

Charlotte giggled and hugged her mom. 

“What shall we do today honey?” Charlotte noticed that her mom sounded sick and felt bad because she wanted to go outside, and play in the rain. 

“I want to go outside and play.” Charlotte pouted. 

“Oh, honey but it’s raining and I’m a bit sick.” 

Charlotte ran across the room to her window, “I’ll play alone. I like playing with puddles by myself. Please mommy, please.” 

The little girl made the cutest puppy face ever. Her mom was a bit weary of letting her daughter run outside by herself but she couldn’t say no to that adorable face. 

“Alright fine.” Charlotte squealed in excitement and begged her mom to help her get dressed. 

Her mom decided to dress up Charlotte in a white blouse along with her yellow raincoat and checkerboard pants with yellow rainboots. Charlotte was so happy to go outside and her mom was pleased with the outfit she chose for the little girl. She picked up her daughter and they both went downstairs. As Charlotte’s mom entered the kitchen with Charlotte in her arms, they spotted a young man making a sandwich for breakfast. 

“Hi daddy! I’m gonna play outside today with the puddles.” Charlotte was placed down on the floor and she ran to her father. He hugged her and kissed her forehead. 

“How exciting! Just be careful sweetie, okay? And don’t go too far.” Her dad begged. 

Charlotte quickly nodded as her father walked her outside, and placed a big kiss on her chubby cheeks. Charlotte waved goodbye to her parents and ran down the stairs, one step at a time, she reached to the bottom step and made a big leap to land in a puddle in front of her. 

She started splashing water everywhere with her tiny feet. The murky water was beginning to slide down the sidewalk. Charlotte, unknowingly followed the stream of water. She laughed by herself as she felt the drops of rain hitting her face. Charlotte also enjoyed the feeling of having her raincoat soaked in water. 

Charlotte stayed on the sidewalk and continued running down the path, furthering herself away from her home. She started to skip her way down the wet pavement and landing inside every wet puddle she spotted. The little girl began to get carried away and picked up her speed which caused her to slip and fall on her bottom. 

“Owie.” Charlotte sat on the wet floor crying and moaning because of the pain in her bum. 

She lifted her gaze and saw a red balloon making its way towards her, staying a few feet away from her. 

Charlotte stopped crying and was entranced by the red floating object. Then the balloon quickly rushed towards Charlotte and halted right in front of her face. Charlotte loved how bright the balloon was but then she noticed letters on it. 

I Love Derry. 

She quietly whispered the words to herself and smiled as she noticed the balloon coming super close to her face, slightly grazing her nose. She giggled her high-pitched laugh and then the balloon decided to float away. 

She stood up and chased down the balloon. Charlotte tried her best to grab the balloon with her wet petite hands but failed, every time she managed to grab it, it floated away even further. Since she was so focused on the balloon, she didn’t notice that she was running down the open road. She kept running and pleading for the balloon to come back but suddenly the balloon stopped by a sidewalk sewer. 

Charlotte managed to catch up to the balloon but she simply waited to see what the balloon would do next. Instantly in a flash, the balloon morphed away, getting sucked into the open drainage and vanishing. 

“No!! Come back balloon.” She sadly yelled. Charlotte fell on her knees and looked inside the darkness before her. “Please come back. Please pretty please.” She sighed in sadness but then squealed at the sight of bright hazel eyes approaching her. 

“Hiya Charlotte!” The terrifying clown said. 

His eyes slowly changed into a blue color instead of hazel. Charlotte stared at the clown that possessed a white face with wine red lips. There were lines coming out of his lips, producing a curve along his cheeks and stopping at the beginning of his forehead. His nose was the same color as his lips. The lower part of his eyes were black, making his eyes pop out more. He came closer to the opening and smiled devilishly at the little girl. 

“What a nice balloon I found down here, do you want it back?” He asked quietly as he lifted the balloon into view. 

Charlotte hesitated, “It’s not mine. It just appeared and I chased after it.” 

“You look like a nice little girl. I bet you have a lot of friends.” He asked creepily. 

“Two, my mom and dad, but my mom is my best best.” She proudly stated. 

“Where is she?” The clown asked curiously as his saliva dribbled down his chin. 

Charlotte felt happy answering the clown’s questions, she felt no fear towards him. “At home with my dad. She’s sick in bed.” 

“I bet I could cheer her up, I’ll give her a balloon.” 

The little girl giggled excitedly but then her smile disappeared as she stared at the clown. 

He broke the silence. “Do you want your balloon too Charlotte?” 

Charlotte pouted and whispered to the clown, “I’m not supposed to take stuff from strangers.” 

A smile spread across the clown’s face. “Oh… well I’m Pennywise the Dancing Clown.” He said as he shook his head, causing the bells on his outfit to jingle. “Pennywise… yes… meet Charlotte.” He signaled his hand towards her. “Charlotte meet Pennywise.” He deeply stated. Charlotte resumed to giggling and took a liking to Pennywise. Pennywise lowered his head but kept his eyes on Charlotte, “Now we aren’t strangers. Are we?” 

Charlotte shook her head and got comfy on the soaking wet floor. She innocently asked, “What are you doing in sewers?” 

“Ou, storm blew me away.” He smiled. “Blew the whole circus away.” He gruffly chuckled. His smile disappeared and he stared at Charlotte with a serious face. “Can you smell the circus Charlotte?” Drool was escaping his lips again. “There’s peanuts. Cotton candy. Hot dogs.” He noticed Charlotte leaning in closer to smell the delicious food being mentioned to her. “Anddddd…” He waited for Charlotte to respond. 

Charlotte widened her eyes in excitement, “Um… hm… popcorn?” She answered his question with little confidence. 

“POPCORN!” He laughed at Charlotte. “Is that your favorite?”

Charlotte happily agreed. “Aha.” 

“Mine too.” Pennywise laughed diabolically. He continued laughing hysterically, his high-pitched laugh was amusing Charlotte. “Because they pop!” He chuckled. “Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.” 

Charlotte began to chuckle adorably as Pennywise kept saying,“POP. POP. POP.” 

Then Charlotte joined him, “Pop. Pop.” 

She began to laugh a lot and felt happy being with Pennywise. He continued laughing when he lowly growled at Charlotte and stared at her with a dangerous look. Charlotte stopped laughing and wondered if Pennywise was okay. Pennywise smelled that Charlotte wasn’t afraid of him, he didn’t smell an inch of fear from her. Yet he continued to stare at her in silence and drooled even more. 

Charlotte felt bad but she knew that she had to leave. “Uh… I should get going now.” 

Pennywise nearly choked on his words. “Without your balloon?” He held up the red balloon. “You don’t want to lose it Charlotte. It’s meant for you. I made it. I’ll kill you, if you don’t take it.” 

Pennywise thought, maybe with threatening the little girl’s life, he might make her fear him but nothing changed. Charlotte only smiled widely. 

“Here… take it.” Pennywise held the balloon closer to her. “Take it Charlotte.” 

He let the balloon touch the cement. Charlotte happily crawled closer as she smiled at Pennywise. She reached out for the balloon but Pennywise purposefully pulled the balloon farther away from her and she gladly entered her small hand into the opening and reached for the gift that was meant for her. 

Pennywise’s eyes change back to the bright hazel color that illuminated in the dark. Charlotte placed her hand on the cement, she was inches away from Pennywise’s face. 

As she reached to grab the balloon, Pennywise gripped her hand and opened his mouth, revealing the rows of sharp teeth ready to devour her flesh. 

Suddenly, Charlotte felt the pressure on her hand and she giggled at the warmth being received on her skin. Then she felt a pair of lips on the back of her hand. 

Pennywise retracted his teeth and placed a docile kiss on the little girl’s hand. Charlotte blushed and took the balloon from Pennywise. Pennywise smiled at the little girl and waved goodbye to Charlotte. 

She picked herself up and yelled out, “Bye Mr. Pennywise. I hope I see you again.” 

Pennywise was shocked and forgot to answer her. He felt a warm feeling arising in his cold chest and he saw that this girl might be different. Pennywise kept wondering if she’ll become someone important in his life, maybe a good friend who will learn to love him for who he is.


	2. Pancakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry it took a bit to post up this chapter. I was trying to figure out how to continue from where I left off but I did it. Enjoy the sweetness and cuteness.

The little girl ran home with her new balloon. The rain seemed to pour down harder causing Charlotte’s speed to hinder. Charlotte seemed to have forgotten what happened to her a few minutes ago and making the same mistake, she slipped, but a pair of gloved hands saved her from falling on her bottom. Pennywise helped Charlotte stand up correctly and made sure that she kept her balance. Charlotte turned around and was faced with the 6’4 clown. The little girl was overwhelmed by Pennywise’s height and as she lifted her head to meet the clown’s face, she clumsily fell back but was saved again by Pennywise. 

Pennywise chuckled cynically and held her up again. “Be careful little one. Falling and hurting yourself is not nice.” 

Charlotte took note of his suggestion and giggled. “Sorry.” Her eyes traveled up and down Pennywise’s form. “You’re as tall as a giraffe.” 

Pennywise wasn’t sure if she meant it as a compliment or as an insult but she smiled so blissfully that he took it as a compliment. “Yes, I am tall.” He awkwardly patted her head and displayed his smile. “I’m glad you think of me as a giraffe.” 

Charlotte jumped blithely. “Yay! You’re my giraffe!” She hugged his leg. 

Pennywise looked down and noticed how small Charlotte was, she barely reached up to his knee. He wasn’t sure how to react at the sudden display of affection. He faintly waited for her to let go and grinned at her as she looked up at him. Charlotte untangled herself from Pennywise’s leg and stepped back. Pennywise bent down and took her hand, “Charlotte… after school tomorrow… do you want to go with me to the sewers?” 

Charlotte shook her little head in approval, “Yes yes.” 

Pennywise looked delighted, “Okay… I’ll see you tomorrow Charlotte.” 

Charlotte gripped her balloon, “Alrighty. Bye Mr. Pennywise.” 

He watched the little girl run home and couldn’t help but smirk at how ridiculously sweet he was to her. The little girl reached the top of the stairs leading into her house and looked back to wave goodbye at her tall giraffe. Pennywise waved goodbye to her and watched her disappear inside her home. 

  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

  
  
Charlotte was excited to leave her class and see her new friend. The bell rung and she picked up her small Mickey Mouse backpack, and her lunch bag. Once she had her things packed together she ran out of her classroom. She ran to the front of the school and squinted her eyes to see if she could spot Pennywise but she couldn’t find him. Charlotte unhurriedly walked down the stairs and surveyed in every direction to find Pennywise. Her big brown eyes were feeling sad because she wanted to see Pennywise. She looked at her tiny shoes and started to walk home. Charlotte carried her lunch bag and looked behind one last time to see if her friend was anywhere in sight, but he wasn’t. She kept walking alone and the noise made by boisterous children, were fading away. Charlotte continued her long walk feeling bereaved until she heard a whisper. 

“Charlotte.”

She stopped and looked to her right and was surprised to notice that she was walking by a forest. Charlotte stood looking at the scary forest and waited to see if anything would pop up. 

“Charlotte.” Pennywise emerged from a tree and signaled the little girl to follow him. “Ya think I forgot about you.” 

Charlotte smiled brightly and carefully made her way into the forest. She caught up to Pennywise and hugged his leg. “Hi Mr. Pennywise.” 

Pennywise stood still and waited for Charlotte to finish her hug. He found it quite adorable that she called him Mr. Pennywise. She let go of his leg and waited for Pennywise to start walking. He looked ahead and saw the path they were going to take was a bit rocky and unstable. Pennywise met Charlotte’s eyes and asked, “You want me to carry you? I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Charlotte lifted her small arms, “Up up up.” 

Pennywise gently grabbed her tiny body and placed her over his head as he took her lunch bag. Charlotte tightly grabbed his hair and held onto him. By accident, she pulled a strand of his hair. 

“Ouch.” Pennywise looked to his right. 

“I’m sorry.” Charlotte immediately kissed the top of his hair and warmly hugged his head. 

Pennywise chuckled and felt a bit nervous by her touch. With his large right hand, he patted her leg. “It’s okay.” He kept walking until he loomed out of the forest and carefully stepped onto the rocks underneath him. A few feet more and he reached the entrance to his home. Pennywise lifted Charlotte and placed her on the ground. “This is my home.” 

Charlotte hopped onto the rocks that were submerged by a serene stream and peeked inside the tunnel that lead into the sewers. She became afraid and ran back to Pennywise. Charlotte adorably hid behind the clown’s leg and firmly gripped his pants. “It’s sca-wey and dark… and stinky.” 

Pennywise laughed and turned around to reach her hand. He found it annoying that he had to slouch down to meet her touch but hidden inside his little heart, he knew that he would grow to love this small action in order to meet Charlotte’s gaze. “It might be scary now but once you get bigger, you’ll want to go inside.” He let her hand go and straightened himself up. “For now, we can have fun out here.” He made a huge gesture with his hands to show Charlotte all the space they had. 

Charlotte looked around, “Can we sit by the…” She pointed at the stream in front of her but she wasn’t sure what to call it. 

“The stream?” Pennywise finished for her. 

“Aha!” 

Pennywise nodded and walked with her to sit as close to the stream as possible, and proceeded to sit down with her. She cozily sat on a rock while Pennywise struggled to keep his long legs out of the water. He couldn’t sit comfortably so he scooched back a bit and padded the empty seat next to him, telling Charlotte to sit back with him. Charlotte giggled and crawled back to sit next to Pennywise. The clown proudly smiled, “Better.” They both sat down and looked at the clear water running beside the rocks. 

“Pretty.” Charlotte pointed at the water. 

Pennywise looked at the boring scenery in front of him and falsely agreed with Charlotte. “Sure.” 

The little girl gasped and opened her lunch bag. “I forgot. My momma made pancakes and I saved three for you.” Charlotte took out a small round dish containing three pancakes already covered in syrup. 

Pennywise made a confused face, “What are pancakes?” 

Charlotte brightly gave him the dish and handed him a fork. Pennywise felt awkward holding these utensils but he didn’t want to disappoint or hurt Charlotte’s feelings. “Are you sure you don’t want this?” 

“No, I’m okay. I saved it just for you.” 

Pennywise made a puzzled face and stared at the three fluffy pancakes. He held the fork in his hand and stabbed the first pancake, and raised it to his mouth but he heard Charlotte laughing. “What’s so funny?” 

“Is that the way you eat pancakes?” 

Pennywise gave her a sassy look, “No.” He sat up straighter and decided to impress Charlotte but he had no idea how to eat this thing. He gave up and asked Charlotte, “How do you eat it then?” He gave the dish to the little girl. 

Charlotte took the fork and held the dish in her hand. She showed Pennywise how to eat pancakes, she shifted her fork to the side and began to cut the first pancake in little triangles. Once she finished cutting the entire pancake, she ate it. “See.” She lifted the dish and gave it to Pennywise. “You try.” 

Pennywise took the fork from her but felt unsure if he could replicate the same actions Charlotte took to eat this. Charlotte lightly held his large hand and helped him cut his pancakes. 

“There you go.” She smiled at Pennywise’s progress. 

Pennywise lifted the pancake and ate it. He made a disgusted face and looked at Charlotte. 

She giggled at Pennywise’s reaction. “You don’t like it?” 

Pennywise forced himself to swallow the nasty food and answered, “It’s weird and squishy.” He shook his head trying to make the tase go away which caused his bells to jingle. “I usually eat meat.” 

Charlotte felt sad, “Oh no, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you only eat meat but now I know.” She began to take the dish away from Pennywise but he felt bad. 

“Don’t worry. I bet the more I try it, the more I’ll like it.” Pennywise gave her the fork and grabbed the dish. He opened his mouth and his canine teeth were exposed and in an instant, he ate the two remaining pancakes. He looked down at Charlotte and expected her to be afraid or disgusted but she wasn’t. 

“That’s cool.” She stood up and laid her hands on his jaw. “I wish I had teeth like that.” 

Pennywise laughed and lifted her to his lap. She sat with her back to Pennywise’s chest and grabbed his hands. She observed his gloves and realized that her hands barely fit in his. She picked at the soft material and tried her best to intertwine her fingers with his, but her hand was too small. Pennywise looked at Charlotte and felt… well he wasn’t sure how he felt. He never had anyone be so comfortable with him or at least not be terrified for their lives. Pennywise covered his hands with her and tickled her. She was laughing uncontrollably and begged him to stop. He continued tickling her so much that she managed to turn around and cling onto his chest, so he wouldn’t be able to reach her tummy. Pennywise stopped and realized that she was hugging him. He held out his hands for a second and brought them closer to her. He wrapped his long arms around her and returned the hug. That warm feeling was arising in his chest again and he peacefully smiled. He looked up and saw that the sun was making its journey across the sky and he knew that it was time for Charlotte to leave. He let her go, “Is it time for you to go?” 

Charlotte got off his lap and looked for her watch inside her backpack, and she saw that it was time for her to go. “Awe… yes I have to go.” She began to pick up her stuff and once she was ready, she poked Pennywise’s arm and right away he got up. Charlotte lifted her tiny arms, “Up up up.” 

Pennywise obliged and lifted her over his head. They both walked through the forest but Pennywise decided to take a shortcut. Quickly, they left the forest and ended up behind the burnt house on Neibolt St., every child in Derry feared that house. Pennywise made his way to the front of the house and placed Charlotte on the ground. “This is also where I live.” 

Charlotte grabbed his leg, “It looks sc-sc-awey.” She looked up at Pennywise. 

He reached for her hand, “It won’t be scary for you because you are my…” Pennywise couldn’t finish his sentence, he wasn’t sure what she meant to him. 

“Friend?” Charlotte finished for him. 

Pennywise looked at Charlotte and contemplated whether that was the right answer. He looked into her eyes and slowly he knew that she was going to be his only true friend. “Yeah… because you’re my friend and you can come visit me whenever you want.” 

Charlotte smiled and hugged Pennywise. She let him go, “Okay… well I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She poked his red nose and started to run home. “Bye Mr. Pennywise.” 

Pennywise waved goodbye to Charlotte. “See ya Charlotte.” He waited until she was out of sight and entered the creepy house. As he stepped in, he realized what a mess his house was and he decided to clean up for Charlotte, but he didn’t know where to start. Pennywise didn’t even know what was considered pretty and approachable, so he went upstairs and tried to clean everything but he felt lazy, and decided to go down the well to sleep for a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that was cute to read!


	3. Tasty Tasty Beautiful Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte visits Pennywise at a bad time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay but I’ve been a bit distracted with school and other fics. But I gave my full attention to our favorite psychotic clown. So, here’s chapter 3.

Pennywise slept for hours, he loved spending time with his new friend, Charlotte, but he wanted to get his rest and have a moment of peace for himself. He could have slept longer if it weren’t for a noise that reached his ears. It was a faint but clear sound that annoyed the clown. He opened his eyes and saw a rat nibbling on a piece of wood. Pennywise’s blue eyes changed into the bright hazel orbs that terrified many children. He quietly lifted his gloved hand and snatched the filthy animal. The frightened rat squirmed and squeaked in fear. 

The clown squeezed the rat until it was violently struggling to breathe. Then Pennywise opened his mouth, revealing his unholy teeth and as quick as a flash, he ripped the rat’s head off. He chewed on the crunchy severed head and swallowed down the raw flesh. Blood was oozing out of the rat’s limp body and Pennywise ate a fat chunk of the rat’s plump body, but he became angry. He threw the dead carcass across the room that contained his mountain of garbage, and disgustedly spit the chewed flesh from his mouth. The clown wiped away the horrible taste from his mouth. He didn’t need the meat of rats, he desired the flesh of children. Beautiful, tender, easy flesh. 

He hasn’t eaten in days and his animalistic hunger was taking over him. Pennywise looked up and judging from the sunlight, it was the beginning of an early morning. “Charlotte.” He scrambled from his pile of junk and stepped down onto the cement. 

The clown remembered that she’ll come and see him today, but not at this precise moment, he figured he had time to feed before she got here. Pennywise left his massive pile of useless garbage and crawled his way up the well. He peered out and lifted his tall form out of the well and climbed up the stairs. 

He was inside the kitchen and looked around at the mess surrounding him. The clown needed food, he desperately wanted a taste, a simple dead body belonging to a child. Then Pennywise remembered that a little girl named Madison Harlow always passed by his house every morning. He laughed like a maniac and went by the door as he waited for his prey. Pennywise waited ten minutes and finally, the little girl appeared. She was walking down the open road and glanced at the creepy house when a whisper stopped her in her tracks. 

“Madison.” 

The little girl looked at the house and felt frightened. The clown could smell her fear. 

He growled deeply, “Madison, what are you looking for?” 

Madison was about to run when she heard the front door opening, leading a road down to darkness. 

“Madison. Come join us. You’ll float too.” 

The little girl felt her tears spilling down her cheeks when a red balloon emerged from inside the house. It made its way to the little girl and she immediately smiled at the pretty red balloon. 

“Come on, Madison.” 

Madison extended her hand to grab the balloon but the floating object escaped her grasp. The girl was too entranced to realize that the balloon was leading her inside the house. She walked up the stairs and through the threshold. The balloon stood in the middle of the hallway when it unexpectedly popped. The little girl gasped and barely understood that she was inside the burnt down house. The door behind her closed automatically and she quickly turned around to see the door locking itself up. 

“No no.” She went to open the door but it wouldn’t budge. 

“Hey girl.” 

Madison turned around and saw Pennywise. A sharp terrified scream was the only thing heard and then after that… silence. 

  
  
************* 

  
  
Charlotte was sleeping in her bed with her Woody doll, when her mother walked in. 

“Honey. Charlotte. Honey wake up.” Her mother whispered. 

The little girl stirred and faced her mom. “Hi momma.” 

“Hi sweetie.” 

Charlotte widened her eyes. “School. Oh no, I’m late.” 

“No no honey. The school just called. It’s Memorial Day. You have no school today.” 

The little girl squeaked happily and sat up. “Really?! Yay!” 

“Yes, so lucky. But me and your daddy have to go and run a few errands. Do you want to join us or stay home?” 

Charlotte wanted to join her parents but she wanted to see her clown friend today. “I’ll stay home.” 

Her mother made a worried face. “Are you sure?” 

The little girl nodded. 

“Alright then.” Her mother was about to leave her daughter’s room when Charlotte stopped her. 

“Momma?” 

Her mother faced her. “Yeah.” 

“Can I go out for a bit?” 

The older woman was suspicious. “Where too?” 

“Play outside.” 

Her mother was uncomfortable with that request. “I don’t know honey. No one will be here to watch you.” 

The little girl pleaded. “Pretty please. Please, please, please.” 

Her mom huffed in defeat. “Alright, but only for a bit and then you come back home. Do you understand.” 

“Yes yes.” 

“Alright. You have fun okay. And be careful.” With that, her mother left. 

Once she left, the little girl jumped up in excitement. She waited patiently for her mom and dad to leave, and once they were gone, she ran to her closet and picked out a gray dress decorated with ruffles and light blue flats. Charlotte was so excited to see Mr. Pennywise and spend more time with her friend. Maybe they could play hide and seek or roam around the big house and be lazy. 

She slipped on her flats and ruffled her hair a bit and went downstairs. Charlotte ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that her parents made her and rushed out the front door. The little girl locked the door behind her and slipped the key to the front door under the door mat by the stairs. She hopped down the stairs and ran down the street to reach the familiar house on Neibolt St. 

Charlotte passed by many houses, received many odd glances from couples as they watched the tiny girl run down the street in full speed, and many friendly waves were thrown her way by those who recognized her. She got tired and stopped for a bit to catch her breath but then she excitedly stood up straight and continued her fast pace. Charlotte giggled happily as she saw the well known spooky house coming into view. The little girl pushed her small legs forward and in two minutes, she arrived at the correct house. 

Charlotte was panting heavily but she cheerfully smiled at the house. “I’m here.” 

She merrily skipped her way to the house and slowly lifted her tired legs up each step. Charlotte reached the door and drew in a deep breath and decided to be extremely quiet and surprise the clown. The little girl turned the doorknob and went inside. She entered the house and became a bit scared at the appearance of the house. Charlotte softly shut the door behind her and looked around. 

In front of her was a worn-down fireplace, completely abandoned and covered in spiderwebs. To her left, there was a dusty staircase leading up to the second floor. On her right, there was a long hallway leading to somewhere dark and most likely scary. Charlotte felt claustrophobic, the silence was terrifying her even more, she felt alone. She needed to find Pennywise. Charlotte was going to explore to her left when she heard a noise upstairs. It sounded like someone was scratching the wood with their nails. The sound was getting louder and Charlotte wanted to run, get away from here as fast as possible but her curiosity got the best of her. The little girl slowly approached the winding staircase leading upstairs, when she heard a voice. 

“Hello.” 

Charlotte stopped in her tracks, she looked up as she felt fear consuming her heart. 

“Help me please.” 

It sounded like a girl, she must have been crying because her voice kept cracking. Charlotte was scared to death, she didn’t know what was going to happen. “M-mr. P-Pennywise.” She whispered. 

The scratching noise came back but no clown appeared. Charlotte clung to the railing and went upstairs. Step by step, her heart was beating furiously and her terror of not knowing what she’ll find, made her even more scared. She reached the second floor and continued looking up, those stairs kept going up and up. Charlotte stopped and wondered if she should keep going up but the noise came back. 

“Help. Help me please. Anyone.” 

Charlotte’s breath was hitching in her throat and her small hands were trembling. She walked towards the sound of the voice and down a long hallway, she saw a door ajar and a… girl on the floor, coughing horribly and blood covering her mouth. Charlotte only saw the top half of her, she couldn’t see beyond the girl’s waist. The little girl was in shock and wasn’t quite sure what to do. The girl dug her nails on the wood again and choked out another cough, blood pouring out of her mouth, staining the floor. 

“Mr. Pennywise.” She shakily whispered. 

The girl faced Charlotte and extended her hand. “Help me.” 

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she recognized this girl. “M-Madison.” 

Before Madison could respond, something pulled her back and she disappeared. Charlotte’s lower lip was trembling, her breathing was uneven as she began to walk towards the room at the end of the hall. The light illuminating the room was becoming prominent and the room was coming into view. 

Charlotte reached the room and pushed the door open, she saw nothing. “Madison.” 

The room was empty, abandoned leaves were everywhere, the paint on the walls were chipping and fading away. She entered inside and saw a dirty mattress on the floor. “Where did she go?” Then Charlotte heard a menacing giggle filling the walls and she looked around. The door behind her closed abruptly, causing the girl to scream. “Mr. Pennywise.” Her voice cracked as she tried to open the door. 

“Charlotte.” 

The familiar voice filled her ears and she followed the clown’s voice. 

“Charlotte. Come here.” 

Another door opened, leading into a dark room filled with tall objects covered by white sheets. She stopped before entering the room when she saw the clown pop out from behind a covered object and waved at her to join him. The girl smiled brightly and went towards him, she immediately felt safe. She entered the room to where she saw Pennywise but was confused when she saw that he wasn’t there anymore. Charlotte pouted and turned her heel to go back towards the door when it shut closed. 

“No no.” The little girl ran to the door and desperately tried to open it but it was locked. 

Then the lights in the room began to flicker violently and the sound of children’s laugh filled the room. Charlotte looked around the room and felt the tears streaming down her face. She faced the door again and saw a scary clown puppet in front of her, smiling psychotically up at her. Charlotte jumped back and screamed, the only sound in her ears was her heartbeat. She remained still when she heard the sheets falling down to the floor. Charlotte turned around, all the covered objects were displayed to her. Every object was a mannequin of disturbing looking clowns. The little girl was trying to breathe but her breaths came out as choked sobs. The dim blue lights kept flickering, creating spine chilling shadows. The lights stopped twitching and Charlotte walked up to a clown mannequin and extended her small fragile hand to touch the creepy clown. She tapped the cheek of the mannequin and nothing happened. Charlotte sighed in relief, she was happy to know that these clowns won’t come alive and try to attack her. She looked around the room when she heard something fall. 

Charlotte looked ahead and saw one of the curtains for a window fall down revealing a glass stained window and another sheet fell, exposing a… coffin. The little girl began to tremble wildly, she stood still as she saw the coffin opening up. Blood covered the interior of the coffin, it looked like fresh blood due to it dripping down the wood. Charlotte came closer to see what was inside, never noticing that every clown mannequin in the room turned their heads, following her steps. She came closer and saw something covered in a black veil, she reached for the veil and lifted it. Charlotte jumped when she saw a human sized doll inside, it looked exactly like her. The doll was surrounded by worms and maggots. The inside of the doll was moving, disgusting insect sounds seemed to radiate from the doll. Charlotte closed the coffin and stepped back. 

Then Pennywise jumped out of the coffin and landed on top of it. Charlotte fell back at the sudden jump, hurting her bottom against the strong wood. 

The clown crouched down and smiled at her, hazel eyes shining brightly. “Beep Beep Charlotte.” 

Pennywise lunged towards her, his teeth ready to take a huge bite out of her. Charlotte got up and ran towards the door screaming her tiny head off as Pennywise extended his arms towards her and tried to grab her. She reached the door and it opened in time for her to run out of the room and with great force, she slammed it shut. Charlotte didn’t understand what was happening. Why was Pennywise trying to hurt her? Why was her friend trying to kill her? She didn’t understand the situation taking place, for all she knew, she wanted to get out of this house and hide under her covers but most importantly, she didn’t want to see Pennywise. She was about to run when she heard the mattress moving. Charlotte saw that something was inside the mattress and it was trying to come out. 

Then a head popped out, it was Madison, half of her face was missing and all that was left was raw flesh and fresh blood dripping down her neck. “Charlotte. Help me.” 

Madison began to vomit out blood, huge amounts of red thick liquid. It looked like ink, the blood rushed through the mattress and it slowly crawled its way to Charlotte. The liquid was hot, steaming, burning anything, it touched. She turned to run down the hall but was faced with three doors that had blood splattered all over them. There were three different signs for each door, each said **Not Scary At All, Scary, Very Scary**. 

Charlotte chose the one that said **Not Scary At All**. 

She rushed to the door and opened it, revealing a dark closet. 

“Help me, Charlotte.” 

Charlotte flipped the switch and screamed when she saw Madison hanging from the ceiling, showing half of her body missing. From her waist down, it appeared that she had been eaten alive. Blood was drenched on her yellow T-shirt and it seemed to have been shred to useless pieces. Madison began to scream horribly, causing Charlotte to close the door. She turned around and saw the hot liquid rushing towards her. 

She closed her eyes and screamed, “Mommy!” 

Charlotte opened her eyes and to her left, she saw a door creaking open. She took the chance and dashed towards her only way out, the little girl sighed in relief as she recognized the familiar hallway. Charlotte ran down the stairs that creaked every time she landed on a step, she reached the last step when she tripped and landed on her knee. She cried out as she felt the pain shooting up to her delicate knee but she managed to push herself up when she heard Pennywise’s laugh. Charlotte was too scared to notice the front door to her right, so she ran into another room, which looked like the kitchen. She was confused when she saw that the exit was not here, she looked back from where she ran and the front door was just few feet away. Charlotte ran too quickly and failed to notice a large piece of wood in front of her, in result she tripped again. 

This time she hurt both her knees, she laid on her side and hugged herself as she sobbed like a wounded animal. Her sharp cries were filling the kitchen but safety was not her best friend. 

A gloved hand appeared from inside the refrigerator. The palm of the hand faced Charlotte and it landed on the side of the fridge. Then it began to tap its long-gloved fingers on the fridge, trying to capture Charlotte’s attention. The little girl looked up in fear as she heard the door to the refrigerator opening up, revealing Pennywise all twisted and scrunched inside, his entire body was sickly rearranged to fit inside the fridge. The clown chuckled darkly as he crawled out of the fridge and untangled his long limbs from inside the small opening. His arms and legs were twisting unnaturally as he stood up, putting himself back together. Once he returned to his usual self, he shook off the slight soreness of being in that uncomfortable position and faced Charlotte. 

He smiled diabolically and bent down half way, “Time to float.” 

Charlotte began to push herself back, trying to keep a safe distance from Pennywise but the pain in her knees was hindering her pace. Still slouched down, Pennywise began to take a step towards her, smiling as he approached her. Charlotte was sobbing intensely; her breaths were uneven and cracking every second. Pennywise began to imitate her sobs and breathing as he inched closer to her. She kept backing up until she hit a wall and Pennywise screamed so loudly as he rushed towards her. He grabbed her arms as the little girl tried to escape his hold but he gripped her wrist and brought her tiny hand to his mouth. Pennywise tried to bite her hand but he pulled her hand away and repeated the sinister motion. Charlotte was scared to death, trying to pull her hand away but the clown was so much stronger than her and, in this scenario, he was in control. She screamed as she felt more tears sliding down her cheeks, her eyes were beyond puffy and red. He cupped her face and dug his fingers into her squishy cheeks and began to imitate her cries again. 

He smiled as the scent of her fear was rolling off her. “Tasty tasty beautiful fear.” 

Drool was pooling out of his mouth and landed on the little girl’s bare legs. She tried to writher her way out but Pennywise kept her in place. He smiled his unholy teeth to her as he began to open his mouth, displaying his rows of sharp teeth. His eyes began to roll back into his head as his jaw became bigger. Charlotte couldn’t control her screams and she managed to slip a hand out of Pennywise’s grip and she dared to touch the side of his face. 

The clown was about to eat the little girl when he felt a small shivering hand on his white cheek. Pennywise stopped and remained inches away from Charlotte’s face. That touch was familiar, he retracted his teeth and focused on the little girl coming into view. 

“M-m-mr. P-P-Pennywise.” She asked softly. 

Then it hit Pennywise, his terrifying hazel eyes changed back into the calm vibrant blue orbs. Charlotte. 

The clown was clouded by the hunger of fear that he wasn’t thinking straight and he didn’t realize that he was about to kill… oh no. “Charlotte.” He released her and stepped back. 

Charlotte was trembling violently, fear emanating all over her small body, her tears constantly spilling from her big brown eyes. 

Oh no, she’s afraid of me. What have I done?! Pennywise tried to approach her again. “Charlotte.” 

The little girl screamed louder and tried to find some sort of security with the wall behind her. She looked at the door and back at the clown and without hesitation, her small legs pushed her up and sprinted her way towards the door, but it was still locked. 

“No no no no. Help me.” She begged desperately. 

Charlotte heard footsteps behind her and she ran into the kitchen again and found an open door that lead her downstairs to another room. Then she realized that she was trapped again. She ran towards a well and looked down, she was alone and scared with no way out. Charlotte turned around and was faced with Pennywise standing before her. She sharply screamed and stepped back, she hit the well with the back of her legs and lost her balance. Without any delay, she fell into the well. 

The clown lunged forward. “Charlotte!!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it! Until next time.


	4. Today I Woke Up

Charlotte heard footsteps behind her and she ran into the kitchen again and found an open door that lead her downstairs to another room. Then she realized that she was trapped again. She ran towards a well and looked down, she was alone and scared with no way out. Charlotte turned around and was faced with Pennywise standing before her. She sharply screamed and stepped back, she hit the well with the back of her legs and lost her balance. Without any delay, she fell into the well. 

The clown lunged forward. “Charlotte!!!!” 

  
  
********* 

  
  
The little girl fell down into the pit of darkness, her terrified screams were echoing through the well. Charlotte was falling at a speed that was equivalent to the speed of light traveling through earth, gravity was working against her, accelerating her fall to the impenetrable gravel waiting for her. 

She continued screaming until her small body hit the ground with a harsh force, her tiny skull experienced a violent impact with the unforgiving ground. A loud crack! resonated through Pennywise’s lair and instantly. 

Charlotte died. 

The back of her skull split into two and a misery of blood pooled from her brain. She remained motionless, hurt, and vulnerable. 

Pennywise stood looking down into the well, he was, for the first time, in shock. Everything happened so quickly, his brain couldn’t process the tragic event that took place. He came back to his senses when he heard a prominent crack. 

Charlotte!

The clown appeared at the bottom of his lair and the sight in front of him, caused him to freeze completely. His friend, Charlotte, she was… she was… dead. 

Pennywise moved his long legs towards her diminutive corpse. He watched as the small river of blood covered the cracks engraved into the ground. The clown knelt down, his knees meeting the ground as the dirty white fabric of his attire met with Charlotte’s blood. 

“Charlotte?” Pennywise touched her arm. Nothing. “Charlotte?” He tried again but there was no response. Anger was building up inside him. “What have I done?” The clown gently lifted her dead body. 

Pennywise didn’t care if his gloves were going to be stained with blood, he didn’t care if Charlotte’s open wound would cover his clothed torso with blood. The clown cradled the little girl like a baby and pressed her lifeless body against his chest. 

“No no no. My friend. Not Charlotte. I’m sorry. Oh no. What did I do?” Pennywise shifted Charlotte’s head into the crook of his elbow and removed a strand of red hair moistened in blood. 

He watched as the strand of hair left behind a trail of blood across the little girl’s fair skin. This was wrong, this was all wrong, nothing made sense. She’s supposed to be alive, with Pennywise, not dead, not so distant from the clown. Pennywise buried his nose in her face, trying to find something, a hope, a chance that involved bringing her back. 

_Wait… I can bring her back_. The clown looked at the deceased girl… _yes, I can bring her back… she can be with me again_. 

Pennywise laid her body on the ground again, he aligned her head upwards. The clown hovered above her and inhumanly opened his mouth. His jaw stretched scarily, his columns of sharp teeth were displayed to Charlotte’s face. Deep down inside him, the deadlights came to life, with the entrancing spherical glowing circles, the deadlights shined like a pile of gold, the intensity of their brightness was increasing. With every inch of power, Pennywise forced the energy to melt into Charlotte’s dead body. 

The beautiful light covered every inch of Charlotte’s body and a majestic string of golden light slipped inside the little girl’s mouth. The energy reignited a spark of life inside Charlotte, in a few seconds, the little girl came back to life. 

Her eyes were wide open and she was out of breath, the first image that occupied her revived eyes was the brightness of the deadlights and rows of carnivorous teeth. She wanted to scream but immediately, Pennywise lowered the intensity of the deadlights and Charlotte felt herself being entranced. In mere seconds she was falling unconscious, descending into a deep slumber. 

Pennywise waited a few seconds to make sure that Charlotte was completely asleep before he closed his terrifying mouth. His face came back to its original state, he stared at the sleeping child and felt... well... he wasn’t sure what he was experiencing at this moment. 

Happiness? Relief? Excitement? 

He wasn’t completely sure. All he knew was that, Charlotte, his friend, was alive once again. But this time, he will never let anything happen to her... well, death won’t be a problem for Charlotte anymore. 

One day, she’ll understand the gift Pennywise bestowed upon her. For now, he needed to get her home before her parents came back from their outing. 

  
  
********* 

  
  
Pennywise cradled Charlotte’s body against his arms, protecting her from danger, if there was any. One moment, Pennywise was in his lair filled with discarded junk and the next, he was in Charlotte’s room. The clown studied the little’s girl room and he snorted at the ridiculousness in front of him. Her room was girly, it felt homey, warm, and filled with love. Pennywise did not welcome this atmosphere but he refrained from paying attention to Charlotte’s trinkets and used his long legs to reach her bed. 

Swiftly, he held her tiny body in one arm, her head resting in the crook of the clown’s elbow. He used his free hand to pull back her blankets and gently laid her on the bed. Pennywise needed to make her look as normal as possible, so closing his eyes, he removed her dress and placed on her fluffy pajamas. Once she was fully covered, he slipped off her flats and tucked her inside the bed. 

Pennywise carefully removed a strand of red hair from her face and stared at the little girl. Once Charlotte wakes up, she’ll most likely remember everything. She’ll be afraid of him, the clown felt like it was his responsibility to apologize, a heartfelt apology. Pennywise knew that some humans forgave easily and others, not so much. Especially women, or in this case, a girl. He had a hunch, Pennywise understood that he needed to earn her trust again. He wasn’t sure how, but to regain his only friend, he’ll try anything. 

“Sorry kiddo. See ya Charlotte.” With a pat to the girl’s head, Pennywise vanished. 

  
  
********* 

  
  
**5 Days Later**

  
  
Charlotte remained in bed, her parents were worried about the sudden illness that has taken upon the little girl. She has been asleep for 5 days, 120 hours, and 7,200 minutes, to her parents it felt like an eternity. They were extremely worried, her parents called the doctor and the kind man assured the worrying parents that she was not ill, rather she was experiencing a prolonged sleep. 

Her parents wondered what caused her to fall asleep for such a long time. Was it normal for a girl at Charlotte’s age to encounter this sort of dilemma? They weren’t sure, all they could do was wait until she opened her beautiful brown eyes. 

  
  
********* 

  
  
It was midnight when Charlotte woke up. She jolted upwards and screamed her tiny lungs out. The little girl remembered everything, the scary house that denied to let her leave, Pennywise attacking her, and falling down a well. Charlotte was absolutely terrified, her fear for the clown was reeking from her body in long waves. 

She looked around her room and wondered how she ended up here. Charlotte stepped out of her bed and placed her bare feet on the carpeted floor. 

“Charlotte.” Pennywise emerged from the corner, he approached the little girl. 

“No no no!! Get away from me!” Charlotte stumbled back onto the floor. She pushed herself back, trying to put as much distance from her and the clown. “Leave me alone!” 

Pennywise expected this reaction from the girl, he lifted his gloved hands to show that he meant no harm to her. But his nostrils picked up the scent of her fear, he felt hunger building up inside him. His blue orbs switched to the golden irises that signified death. 

Charlotte noticed the change in the clown’s eyes, her fear spiked so quickly that it could have broken a Richter scale. She needed help, “Mom! Dad! Help me! Mom!!! Dad!!!” 

Pennywise hunched himself on the floor, he was battling the hunger that controlled him. His teeth were starting to reveal themselves, his sharp claws were tearing his gloves into pieces. He locked his gaze on Charlotte, a predatory gaze lingered on the fresh meat in front of him. Pennywise violently tore his gaze away, voices were filling his head, constant shouts between himself and the monster that needed to consume fear in order to survive. 

  
  
Kill her!

No! She’s my friend. 

Meat. Easy bait. 

No! Stop! I won’t hurt her!

Kill her Pennywise! You must eat to survive! Losing her won’t change anything!

You are wrong, she’s important to me. I know she is! I won’t hurt her! I won’t hurt her! I WON’T HURT HER!

  
  
“Charlotte!” Pennywise extended his clawed hand towards the little girl, his jaw bearing the horror of his teeth. 

The little girl screamed so loudly, then in a flash, her parents burst into her room. Pennywise was gone. 

“Honey, oh my god! What are you doing on the floor?! What happened?!” Her father asked worriedly. 

“I’m scared. He’s going to kill me. Don’t let him kill me.” Charlotte clung onto her mother’s arms and wept. 

Her father embraced the two and gave a worried glance towards his wife. 

  
  
********* 

  
  
Since the sudden outburst from the little girl, her parents have been worried about her. Every night, she would startle them with the sound of her screams echoing through the house. Charlotte kept repeating the same phrase, he’ll kill me. 

Her mother and father decided that their daughter was being possessed by nightmares. It was normal to have dreams that terrified children, but to have a child experiencing a nightmare every night was... odd. Like routine, her mother and father would come into her room and soothe her trembling body. 

A month has gone by and slowly her nightmares were ceasing to exist in her mind, which meant that Pennywise was no longer approaching the girl through her dreams. 

The clown needed to find a way to talk to Charlotte without causing her to burst into screams. As much as he loved being in his clown form, he needed to change that view and become someone else. 

  
  
********* 

  
  
Charlotte was able to go out and play, once her dreams have left her tiny mind. Her parents were always keeping an eye on her, their concern for her was decreasing but the stability of her mind was a problem that her parents kept worrying about. 

She was wearing a navy-blue tank top with mahogany pants and a pair of petite sneakers. Charlotte was sitting on the sidewalk, she was playing with a small amount of marbles, arranging them in different shapes and occasionally rolling them around. 

She held onto her favorite marble, it was a small glass ball that resembled the form of an opal. Charlotte always favored its beauty, she placed it on the floor when it began to roll away. 

“Wait!” Charlotte got up and ran after the marble. “Come back please!” 

She continued running down the sidewalk when a shiny shoe stopped the marble from disappearing. 

“Be careful my child. Sometimes running can cause you to fall. We wouldn’t want that would we?” 

Charlotte looked up at the stranger and felt immensely short compared to him. He was wearing an expensive suit, the black color contrasting against his pale skin. She remained quiet as she observed the tall man in front her. 

The man lifted his shoe and crouched down to retrieve the marble, “Is this yours?” 

The little girl shook her head and the man extended his massive hand towards her, returning her marble. “Thank you.” Charlotte caressed the marble in her palm and looked into the man’s eyes. 

“What’s your name?” 

Charlotte shyly smiled. “Charlotte.” 

“Ah, what a lovely name.” The stranger offered his hand. “My name is Robert Gray.” 

The little girl shook the man’s hand. “Hello.” 

“Hello there.” Robert stood up and looked down at the little girl. “Well, it was nice meeting you Charlotte. I hope to see you again. Remember to be careful.” 

“I will.” Charlotte waved goodbye to the man and watched him walk away. Robert faced the girl one last time and smiled. 

The little girl felt like she‘s met that man before, his height was familiar and his eyes were… unmistakably peculiar. Charlotte looked at her dear marble and ran back home. 

  
  
********* 

  
  
Robert continued walking down the street minding his own business and casually looked around to see if anybody was by him. Luckily, there was no one and he happily disappeared from the street and appeared in his lair. The mask of Robert Gray disappeared as Pennywise emerged from the suited human form. 

“She talked to me! She wasn’t afraid of me! He he he!” Pennywise was clapping wildly as he jumped all over the hoard of junk surrounding him. “Tomorrow she’ll see me again. For now… I need to feast on flesh.” The clown’s blue eyes changed into hazel orbs, and the hunt for food began. 

  
  
********* 

  
  
The next day, Charlotte was upstairs when she heard her parents chatting with someone. The little girl recognized that voice, she couldn’t figure out who that voice belonged too but curiosity got the better of her. Charlotte ran down the stairs and saw her parents in the living room with— 

“Charlotte! Sweetie there you are.” Luna, Charlotte’s mother, ushered the little girl to come closer. “Honey, this is Mister Gray.” 

The little girl smiled excitedly as she recognized the young man in front of her. Today, Robert Gray was dressed in a gray striped suit, a black dress shirt beneath, and wood colored dress shoes. His chocolate brown har was slicked back and his green/gray eyes were sparkling. “Hello Robert Gray.” 

The little girl unexpectedly hugged the young man. “Oh my, Charlotte!” Luna was shocked. 

“No worries. We met earlier. Hello Charlotte.” Robert awkwardly patted the girl’s head. 

Her father, Timothy, slowly pulled the little girl away from the ridiculously handsome man. “How did you two meet?” Timothy questioned. 

Charlotte faced her father. “Yesterday, my marble ran away from me and Mister Gray saved my marble.” 

“Oh, thank you for that.” Timothy smiled at Robert. 

The young man grinned enormously. “It was no trouble at all.” 

Luna dropped her gaze to her watch. “Shit—er I mean shoot. Honey, we need to get going.” 

“Oh darn! We really do. Shit! I mean shucks. We don’t have anyone to look after Charlotte.” Timothy hastily commented. 

“Well, thank you for the help. I should get going.” Robert winked at Charlotte and started to head towards the door. 

“Mister Gray, wait!” Luna shouted. 

Robert was spooked at the sudden shout, “Yes?” 

Luna rushed towards the young man. “Are you needed elsewhere? I mean, do you need to be somewhere right now?” 

Robert looked at the two parents. “No. Why?” 

“Do you mind staying with Charlotte? We have to go to a meeting and it would be nice if someone stayed with her for a bit.” Luna pleaded. 

Robert wanted to grin happily at the predictable upcoming events but like any normal human, he contorted his face in confusion. “Oh no, I couldn’t.” 

Timothy liked the idea. “You can. It’ll just be a few hours. Please, it would mean a lot to us if you stayed with her.” 

The young man looked at Charlotte, “Well, I wouldn’t mind staying with her.” 

“Thank you!!” Both parents shouted. 

Timothy and Luna ran towards their daughter and bid her goodbye. “Take care sweetheart. Have fun.” Charlotte’s father quickly shook Robert’s hand while Luna hugged the young man and couldn’t help but kiss Robert’s plump lips. “Thank you again.” 

She left, leaving Robert disgusted by the kiss. He watched as Charlotte’s parents disappeared. Robert falsely smiled and waved the two parents goodbye. The young man closed the front door and faced the little girl. “Well, what shall we do?” 

  
  
********* 

  
  
Robert and Charlotte were on the floor playing Monopoly. The young man had no clue how to play this game and Charlotte was as lost as he was. 

“Are we playing this correctly?” Robert questioned. 

Charlotte faced the man in confusion. “I’m not sure.” 

Robert eyed the board game and came up with a better idea. “Charlotte.” He grabbed the different colored piles of money. “Watch this.” With no enthusiasm, he threw the money in the air, causing Charlotte to laugh. “Cool huh.” 

The little girl lifted her herself and began to throw the money as well. She was giggling adorably as she watched every single paper floating in the air and coming back down to rest on the floor. As she was distracted by the flying paper, Robert magically designed a Dahlia flower for Charlotte. 

He presented the flower made out of paper for her. “For you Charlotte.” 

Charlotte studied the flower. The center of the Dahlia flower was maroon, the second layer was light pink, the following layer was colored in a candy apple color, and the last two layers were a wine and rose color. 

Charlotte smiled at the gift being given to her, “Thank you.” Robert felt proud and used his long limbs to lift himself off the floor. The little girl was again, taken back by his height and thanks to her clumsiness, she fell back on her bottom. 

Robert immediately went to help her up. “Be careful my child.” 

Her small hands slid into his large hands. “Thank you.” The young man wanted to release her hands but Charlotte clung onto him. “Come upstairs.” 

The little girl pulled Robert up the stairs and into her room. Charlotte jumped on her bed and patted the empty spot next her. Robert unsurely sat next to the little girl and stared at her. 

Charlotte reached her nightstand and grabbed a book. “Can you read this to me?” 

Robert looked at the cover. “Of course.” 

Unexpectedly, the little girl curled next to the young man, resting her head on his chest. “I love this story. My mom always reads this story to me.” 

Robert wasn’t expecting this innocent display of affection and he ambivalently wrapped his arm around her tiny body and began to read the book. He wasn’t sure how to commence so he decided to read the title out loud. “Guess How Much I Love You.” 

He continued reading the book and slowly he felt Charlotte falling asleep but he didn’t stop reading. “Then he looked beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky. “ _I love you right up to the MOON_ ,” he said, and closed his eyes. “ _Oh, that’s far_ ,” said Big Nutbrown Hare. “ _That is very, very far_.” Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him goodnight. Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile—” 

Before Robert could finish the last words to the book, Charlotte sleepily finished the last lines for him. “I love you right up to the moon and back.” She snuggled closer to the young man and smiled sweetly. 

When Robert heard those last words, he stared down at the redhead and felt that missing warm sensation rising in his chest again. He didn’t realize until now, that the little girl was hugging the flower he made her. Robert closed the book and silently placed it on the nightstand and endearingly hugged the little girl against his chest. His gray eyes transformed into electric blue irises and Robert smiled merrily, knowing that one day, she’ll forgive him and they’ll become friends again.


End file.
